Saturday, December 16, 2017

Polio was a feared disease in the mid 1900’s. The disease touched many people around the world and created a great deal of fear when it was talked about. It is not surprising when you look at some of the effects polio placed on some patients. There eventually was a decline in polio cases and it created quite a debate about whether or not it was a natural decline or another vaccine success.

Whenever vaccine doubt begins to surface there is often a common response: “Look at the success of the Polio vaccine when there was Polio outbreaks in the late 40’s and early 50’s.” However, scientific data can quickly show a different story that we must take into consideration when carefully analyzing what actually stopped Polio.

The Pertussis Polio vaccine was implemented in the 1940’s and 50’s and many believed it to be the cause of the decrease in Polio cases, including the reason behind why we do not see Polio cases today. Is this the real reason why Polio has dissapeared?

First let’s understand a bit about Polio and how “dangerous” it really is. the following is stated in a paper written by Dr. Sheri Tenpenny, one of the leading researchers of vaccine safety and effectiveness.

“Polioviruses are transient inhabitants of the gastrointestinal tract. Up to 95% of all polio infections are completely asymptomatic. Approximately 5% of polio infections consist of a minor, nonspecific illness consisting of an upper respiratory tract infection (sore throat and fever) and gastrointestinal disturbances (nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and diarrhea). This influenza-like illness, clinically indistinguishable from the myriad of other viral illnesses, is characterized by complete recovery in less than a week with resultant life time immunity. Less than 1% of all polio infections result in paralysis. Most importantly, the vast majority of individuals who contract paralytic poliomyelitis recover with complete—or near complete—return of muscle function. Any weakness that is still present 12 months after onset of paralysis is usually considered permanent.“

Off the top it first appears as though we may have been misled about how dangerous Polio really is. When Polio outbreaks were happening in the late 50’s and early 60’s, many of the adverse effects were due to the lack of clean conditions. The truth is over 90% of the cases where people contracted Polio, the symptoms experienced were very minute. Most symptoms included a slight fever, headache, sore throat, and vomiting. The recovery time was 24 – 72 hrs. Once recovered, the person now has a life time immunity to Polio. 5% of people who contracted Polio had less symptoms and recovery time was much less. They would see some sore throat and possibly a fever. Rare cases saw diarrhea. Then we get to 3% of people who had a bit more extreme cases where they may have seen some limb weakness and partial paralysis that would be experienced for 2 – 10 days. This only happened when areas of the brain that controlled limbs were irritated by a form of viral meningitis. All cases saw a complete recovery and life long immunity. Now we get to the worst cases of them all. Less than 2% of cases saw some form of more serious paralysis. Of that 2% though 50% saw complete recovery over time from the paralysis.

As you really begin to look at the numbers, the amount of very serious cases is actually a very very small number. Yet when we hear the word Polio today, we tend to think of an extremely dangerous illness that causes certain paralysis. This is very much similar to AIDS in that fear drives us to act in and think in ways that is worse than the actuality of the disease itself. It also seems to be the case that the fear and emotion around the disease is so strong that we have a hard time truly looking at it logically.

Let’s move onto how Polio declined and how it relates to the vaccine. Why not start with a statement of fact that will set the tone for what will be looked at below.

In 1977, Dr Jonas Salk, who developed the first polio vaccine, testified along with other scientists that mass inoculation against polio was the cause of most polio cases throughout the USA since 1961. (Science 4/4/77 “Abstracts” )

The above statement states the truth of the vaccine in a nutshell. The Polio vaccine only increased the amount of cases of Polio when it was introduced and it had no part in actually creating a decline in the disease. The decline was happening naturally and the vaccine was introduced on a down turn of Polio cases. While the introduction of the vaccine created a spike in cases, overall the disease continued to decline. Especially in countries that did not introduce the vaccine. This is strong evidence showing that the Polio vaccine is not responsible for the decline and should negate the belief and statement that the Polio vaccine demonstrates vaccine success. Below, see research that reflects what it stated above.

Six New England states reported increases in polio one year after the Salk vaccine was introduced, ranging from more than doubling in Vermont to Massachusetts’ astounding increase of 642%; other states reported increases as well. The incidence in Wisconsin increased by a factor of five. Idaho and Utah actually halted vaccination due to the increased incidence and death rate. In 1959, 77.5% of Massachusetts’ paralytic cases had received 3 doses of IPV (injected polio vaccine). During 1962 U.S. Congressional hearings, Dr. Bernard Greenberg, head of the Dept. of Biostatistics for the University of North Carolina School of Public Health, testified that not only did the cases of polio increase substantially after mandatory vaccinations—a 50% increase from 1957 to 1958, and an 80% increase from 1958 to 1959—but that the statistics were deliberately manipulated by the Public Health Service to give the opposite impression.(52) It is important to understand that the polio vaccine was not universally accepted, at least initially. Despite this, polio declined both in European countries that refused mass vaccination as well as in those that employed it.

As the natural decrease in Polio cases began in the early 50’s, we can clearly see that in countries where the Polio vaccine was introduced cases actually increased. In areas where Polio was non existent, Polio began to show up when the vaccine was introduced to the area. In countries that did not implement the vaccine, Polio became non existent. Eventually the natural decline of Polio meant that even though we still use the vaccine, most vaccinated will not contract the virus because there is an immunity to it. It is important to note though that cases after 1961, as shown above, are due to the vaccine itself.

One final piece of information that is important to note is that the Polio vaccine used had traces of the SV 40 virus which is directly linked to the creation of cancer within the body. Speculatively, one of the main purposes behind vaccines is to inject the population with ‘codes’ that open the body up to the ability to contract diseases much more easily. The science behind vaccinations has long been proven to be completely ineffective and the continued use of vaccines only shows the real purpose behind them.

One step we can all take to not subject anyone to vaccines is by simply not getting them anymore and education others. For parents of newborn children, be sure to read the following article to find out how to legally get out of “mandatory” vaccinations. Not a single vaccine is necessary in any human body.

By Dr. Mercola
About 11 percent of U.S. children (or 6.4 million) have been diagnosed with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD),1 which is characterized by a pattern of inattention, hyperactivity and/or impulsivity that interferes with learning, daily functioning and relationships. Rates have been increasing by about 5 percent a year.2
Among very young children (2 to 5 years), behavior therapy is the first-line treatment recommended for ADHD, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).
However, data from the U.S. Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) revealed that about half of preschoolers with ADHD were taking medication, and 1 in 4 were being treated only with medication.3
Further, only half of 4- to 5-year-olds with ADHD received behavior therapy, despite it being the recommended go-to treatment. By age 6, the so-called "best practice guidelines" for ADHD include treatment with both medication and behavior therapy.
It's a sad state of affairs on multiple fronts, the first of which surrounds the accuracy of ADHD diagnoses. Misdiagnosis is common, which means many children may be taking medications unnecessarily. The other glaring issue is the dangers of ADHD drugs, which are immense.
Kids taking these powerful drugs may suffer from side effects ranging from sleep problems and loss of appetite to seizures and increased heart rate, which is why alternative treatment options are urgently needed. Fortunately, one age-old option, essential oils, has shown promise in helping to relieve the symptoms of ADHD.

What Are Essential Oils?

Essential oils are concentrated, aromatic plant extracts that have been used for thousands of years for emotional, cosmetic, medical and even spiritual purposes. The term "essential oil" actually comes from the idea of "quintessential oil."
Aristotle believed that in addition to the four physical elements (fire, air, earth and water) there was a fifth element, quintessence.
This was considered to be the "spirit" or life force of the plant, and distillation or evaporation were used to remove the "spirit" for human usage (this is also why distilled alcoholic beverages are referred to as "spirits").4
Today, essential oils, which contain complex mixtures of beneficial plant chemicals, are extracted from plants via two primary methods: distillation, which has been used since ancient times; and expression or cold pressing, which is used to extract citrus essential oils.

Essential Oils May Improve ADHD Symptoms

Research by the late Dr. Terry S. Friedmann, a physician who believed in treating the body, mind and spirit as one, showed that vetiver oil (vetiver is a type of Indian grass) was beneficial for children with ADHD.5
When the children inhaled the oil three times a day for 30 days they had improved brain wave patterns and behavior and did better in school. Eighty percent of the children also improved when using cedarwood oil similarly.6
Cedarwood essential oil was chosen for the study because it has a high concentration of sesquiterpenes (they make up 50 percent of its constituents), which improve oxygenation of brain cells.
Vetiver is known to calm and balance the nervous system while stimulating the circulatory system, according to Friedmann. He explained:7

"When the essential oil is inhaled, the micro droplets are carried to the limbic system of the brain, which is that portion that is the processing center for reason, emotion and smell, and to the hypothalamus, which is the hormone command center.

The essential micro droplets are also carried to the lungs where they enter the circulatory system."

Improvements in brain activity were revealed via electro-encephalograph (EEG), which measures electrical impulses moving through the brain. This allowed researchers to determine whether the children's brains were functioning primarily in a beta (i.e., alert) state or a theta state (i.e., lack of focus).
Improvements in beta-theta ratios were noted following the use of vetiver essential oil, while parents also noted improvements in symptoms. Friedmann reported:8

"I received several letters from parents of the ADHD children stating that their behavior at home had improved for the better.

In several cases, they also stated that school educators informed them that their performance was observed to improve in the classroom. The report cards in some of the subjects had reflected this improvement as well."

Vetiver Essential Oil May Improve Alertness

A recent study published in the Journal of Intercultural Ethnopharmacology also showed vetiver essential oil to have particular promise for ADHD.
The animal study revealed changes in brain activity suggestive of increased alertness,9 while research on human subjects revealed faster reaction times and stimulation of sympathetic nerve activity following inhalation.10 The former study's researchers wrote:11

"Ultimately, the stimulating effects of vetiver EO [essential oil] might be beneficial for learning and memory processes. In conclusion, the present findings provide information that vetiver EO may be used as a stimulant to improve alertness and task performance."

Rosemary, Lavender and Other Essential Oils

Beyond vetiver and cedarwood, rosemary essential oil has also shown promise for increasing cognitive performance. When study participants completed tasks in a cubicle diffused with the aroma of rosemary essential oil, their performance improved in both speed and accuracy.12
"The unique relationships between plant essential oil aromas and any behavioral impact are potentially due to the complex molecular composition containing a range of alcohols, aldehydes, acids, phenols, esters, ketones and terpenes," the researchers wrote, continuing:13

"[T]his study supports the suggestion that active compounds present in aromas may be absorbed through the nasal or lung mucosa and thus provide the potential for pharmacological activity …

The small size of these lipid-soluble compounds facilitates passage across the blood–brain barrier and consequently they may produce effects at the neuronal level by either acting directly on receptor sites, or indirectly by impacting on enzyme activity."

Lavender essential oil, on the other hand, is most known for its sedative properties. Some people with ADHD have trouble sleeping, and lavender essential oil has been found to improve sleep.14 Other essential oils that may relieve various symptoms of ADHD include peppermint oil for improved alertness as well as:

Parents See Dramatic Improvements

One Wellington, Florida, mother, Tina Sweet, spoke with WPTV to share her experience using essential oils as a treatment for ADHD in her 11-year-old son.
"Every single day I was getting (messages from teachers saying) he won't stay on task. He won't stay focused. He won't stay in his seat. He's talking. He's just up and running around. He just could not stay focused," she said.15
After starting him on aromatherapy using essential oils, she said his grades improved from Cs and Ds to As and Bs. Now in fifth grade, the student is in advanced classes and described as a "calm child." She applies essential oils to several body areas each morning and he also wears an essential oil bracelet.
Describing the use of essential oils as "life-changing," Sweet also credits her son's ability to cut back on his ADHD medications to the use of essential oils.

How to Use Essential Oils for ADHD

Inhalation or applying the oils topically to the skin are two effective ways to use essential oils for ADHD. Placing three to four drops of oil into a diffuser is one of the simplest methods, while some of the studies on essential oils for ADHD involved participants inhaling the scent directly from the bottle (for two or three deep breaths) three times a day.
You can also try steam inhalation by placing three to seven drops of essential oil into boiling water, then covering your head with a towel and breathing through your nose (keep your eyes closed and be careful not to get burned).
To use the oils topically, first do a test to be sure they don't irritate your skin (apply one drop to your skin and observe it for one to two hours). Oils should be applied very sparingly to your neck, wrists, bottom of feet and/or behind your ears. You can blend them with a carrier oil, such as coconut oil, as well.
Some people like to pre-mix essential oils with fractionated coconut oil and put the mixture into a rollerball dispenser. This way you can roll on the oils whenever you feel you need them.

Other Natural Options for Treating ADHD

Essential oils may relieve ADHD symptoms, but for best results they should be combined with other natural strategies to relieve ADHD. If your child struggles with behavioral difficulties or other ADHD-like symptoms, whether he or she has been diagnosed with ADHD or not, I strongly recommend addressing the following factors:

• Too much sugar. High-sugar foods and starchy carbohydrates lead to excessive insulin release, which can cause falling blood sugar levels, or hypoglycemia. Hypoglycemia, in turn, causes your brain to secrete glutamate in levels that can cause agitation, depression, anger, anxiety and panic attacks.
Besides that, sugar promotes chronic inflammation in your body, and many studies have demonstrated the connection between a high-sugar diet and worsened mental health.• Gluten sensitivity. The evidence suggesting that gluten sensitivity may be at the root of a number of neurological and psychiatric conditions, including ADHD, is quite compelling.
According to a 2011 study, celiac disease is "markedly overrepresented among patients presenting with ADHD,"16 and a gluten-free diet has been shown to significantly improve behavior in kids. The study went so far as to suggest celiac disease should be added to the ADHD symptom checklist. • An unhealthy gut. As explained by Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride, a medical doctor with a postgraduate degree in neurology, toxicity in your gut can flow throughout your body and into your brain, where it can cause symptoms of autism, ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia, depression, schizophrenia and other mental disorders. Reducing gut inflammation is imperative when addressing mental health issues, so optimizing your child's gut flora is a critical step.
This includes not only avoiding processed, refined foods but also eating traditionally fermented foods. Fermented vegetables are perhaps among the most palatable fermented foods, although many kids enjoy fermented dairy products like kefir, especially if you blend them into healthy smoothies.
If you cannot get your child to eat fermented foods on a regular basis, a high-quality probiotic supplement may be highly beneficial in correcting abnormal gut flora that may contribute to brain dysfunction. • Animal-sourced omega-3 deficiency. Research has shown that kids low in omega-3 fats are significantly more likely to be hyperactive, to struggle with learning disorders and to display behavioral problems. A clinical study published in 2007 also examined the effects of krill oil on adults diagnosed with ADHD.17
In that study, patients improved their ability to concentrate by an average of over 60 percent after taking a daily 500-milligram (mg) dose of krill oil for six months. They also reported a 50 percent improvement in planning skills and a close to 49 percent improvement in social skills. • Food additives and GMO ingredients. A number of food additives are thought to worsen ADHD, and many have subsequently been banned in Europe. Potential culprits to avoid include Blue No. 1 and No. 2 food coloring; Green No. 3; Orange B; Red No. 3 and No. 40; Yellow No. 5 and No. 6; and sodium benzoate, a preservative.
Research also shows that glyphosate, the active ingredient in Monsanto's Roundup herbicide, used in large quantities on genetically engineered Roundup Ready crops, limits your body's ability to detoxify foreign chemical compounds. As a result, the damaging effects of those chemicals and environmental toxins are magnified, and may result in a wide variety of diseases, including brain disorders that can affect behavior.

There are many other natural options that have been shown to improve ADHD symptoms as well, including the following. For more information, please consult with a holistic physician who is experienced in treating ADHD using natural methods.

Monday, December 4, 2017

Reposted from A Breath of Reason
https://abreathofreason.com/tag/selenium/

Do you know this man? You should. He cured Cystic Fibrosis in 1978. How could that be? The gene that causes CF wasn’t even discovered until 1989! Ah, but you see, according to Dr. Joel Wallach, Cystic Fibrosis is not actually a genetic disease. Before I get into this, let’s first hear a little background on Dr. Wallach.

Dr. Wallach, M.S., D.V.M., is best known for his audiotape Dead Doctors Don’t Lie, (a live recording of one of his shows, also as a book in transcript form) in which he concludes that all disease and aging is due to mineral deficiencies, and that people can and should be able to live healthily for well over a century if only they continue a daily supplemental regimen of colloidal minerals. But it is in another book, Let’s Play Doctor (co-authored with Ma Lan, M.D., M.S., a questionable Chinese doctor, whose license to practice in the United States, doesn’t seem to be on record[1]) where he states that through his research, he was able to replicate the disease of cystic fibrosis in apes, by simply depriving them of the mineral selenium, and then cure them once colloidal selenium was reintroduced in large quantities[2]. This then led to his hypothesis that CF was preventable, could be cured in early stages, and be managed well enough through selenium supplementation for patients to live a normal life expectancy.

But here’s the thing, in case your skeptic flags haven’t been raised yet, none of these claims have any scientific merit, and will not stand up to scrutiny if examined. And they have been examined, at great length, to the irritation of Dr. Wallach, who has a history of silencing criticism where he can with lawsuits, and bitterly shouting libelous rants against his critics in promotional materials where lawsuits aren’t enough.[3] Wallach, who is a veterinarian, and has bought himself a degree in Naturopathy, prefers to label himself the misleading designation of ‘physician’. As such, he claims to have done a near impossible amount of human autopsies, in addition the animal necropsies he performed as a veterinarian. This would be illegal for any person with his credentials, whether the number was 1 or 20,500, as he reports[4].

He was allegedly nominated for a Nobel Prize in Medicine after publishing this CF hypothesis and ape trials (Nobel nominees are not revealed until a strict 50 years later, so there’s no way to confirm this), but there was minor problem: It wasn’t true. The real doctors and researchers tried replicating his results, and time and again, concluded that he was a self-glorifying hack promoting a fad that would increase profits for himself, and the mineral company he partnered with at the time. Keep in mind that anybody can be nominated for a Nobel Prize. There’s no qualifying credentials, nor minimum experience, no clout required whatsoever, only that they must be nominated by practitioners qualified by the Assembly at Karolinska Institute as being fit to approach[5]. It just so happened that Wallach was nominated by a group of eccentric naturopaths, of which he was a member. So it doesn’t really add any merit to his claims, to be Nobel nominee out of a collection of hacks, and the Nobel Committee supposedly denied that Wallach was ever a legitimate nominee to begin with. This, of course, does not stop him from boldly exclaiming this information on his books and brochures anyway.

And then there’s this gem: a promotional talking point that had been used by Wallach so continuously, everyone stopped questioning its origins. It’s called Senate Document 264. The National Council Against Health Fraud summarizes, “The most recent contribution to the body of counter information is offered by Donald Davis, PhD, of the University of Texas at Austin. Davis located ‘Senate Document 264’ cited by Wallach as evidence that 99% of Americans are deficient in minerals. It turns out that the ‘document’ is nothing more than the reprinting of a highly speculative article about a passing fad written by a Florida farmer in the June, 1936, issue of Cosmopolitan magazine as requested by Florida’s Senator Fletcher. Fletcher died 16 days after requesting that the government printing office reprint the article.”[6]

Honestly, there’s so much dirt on this quack, that I find it unnecessary to continue writing about him and exposing any more of his conspiratorial lies, inconceivable exaggerations and cult-like charlatanism. (If you’d like to read more, you can find loads of information here , here , here, and here . Rather, I’d like to look at what the science really says about colloidal selenium, particularly in regards to cystic fibrosis.

Firstly, what the heck is colloidal selenium, and how is it different from regular selenium? (Hang on, it’s about to get technical; stick it out, though, and I promise there will be a reward at the end!) If you were to ask Dr. Wallach, he’d tell you that most minerals we receive from our diet are metallic, and that colloidal minerals are plant based, which is better for you, and more easily absorbed. He’d be wrong, though. According to ChemWiki by UCDavis, a colloid is one of the three primary types of mixtures, with the other two being a solution and suspension. A colloid is a solution that has particles ranging between 1 and 1000 nanometers in diameter, yet is still able to remain evenly distributed throughout the solution. They must be larger than a molecule, but small enough so as to not be seen by the naked eye.[7] So it really has to do with the size and structure of the mineral particles, rather than their origin, or efficacy. Other source definitions confirm this.

Selenium is one of the 24 essential minerals needed for optimal human health. It forms a part of some anti-oxidant enzymes such as glutathione to confer protective effects, and as such has been heralded for its potential use in the prevention of certain types of cancer, as well as aid in glucose metabolism by acting as an insulin mimetic. However, in higher-than-needed doses, or over long periods of exceeding supplementation, selenium causes oxidative stress on beta-cells in the pancreas resulting in insulin resistance and Type II diabetes, as well as become toxic enough to promote cancer. Excessive intake of selenium can cause damage to DNA.[8]

Selenium is found in a wide variety of meat, seafood, dairy, eggs, and grains. According to National Institute of Health selenium fact sheet, the vast majority of people in North America get sufficient amounts of selenium in their regular diet. The only groups that are really at risk of deficiency are people who eat only locally grown/ harvested food where selenium content in the soil is low, and certain people with HIV, or kidney disease. While there are a few established diseases caused from selenium deficiency (CF not included), having too much selenium is substantially more risky. Now here’s where I start sounding like pharmaceutical commercial’s warnings: Selenium overdose can range from small side effects, like bad breath and brittle nails, to serious things like nervous system disorders and heart failure[9]. Some medications can also interact with selenium, which is why it’s important to not start any supplement treatment without telling your doctor or pharmacist.
As I mentioned, selenium content varies throughout different climates and geographies, with some soil having higher amounts of selenium than soil in a different area, so it’s possible for some populations to have large numbers of selenium deficient people. Knowing this, if Dr. Wallach’s hypothesis were true, there would be pockets of high concentrations of Cystic fibrosis patients in some parts of the world with low selenium content, and in places like Utah, for example, where selenium soil content tends to be high (incidentally the location of his colloidal selenium mine from which he gets his products) would have very few if any CF patients, all with very mild symptoms.
When it comes to selenium supplementation in Cystic Fibrosis, the available research suggests that although often having impaired absorption of fatty acids, patients generally had a selenium status no different from that of healthy controls.[10] Studies did note however, that while there’s not sufficient evidence to assert that selenium caused improvement in lipid peroxidation markers, the oxidative stress put on lungs from pulmonary disease could be helped by antioxidant enzymes like glutathione, present in selenium.[11] And that the balance between the two is delicate and easily disturbed. [12] A systematic review of CF studies on antioxidant micronutrients which included selenium found evidence for and against them. Three out of five qualifying studies were analyzed for outcomes regarding lung function, quality of life, oxidative stress, inflammation, and BMI. There was no improvement in lung function with supplementation, and quality of life (unclear what aspects that covers) decreased. However, oxidative stress was palliated by increased levels of antioxidants in the blood. Most importantly, the reviewers state that, “Antioxidant supplementation in cystic fibrosis is not yet recommended beyond routine care.” [13]

If you type in keywords “selenium and cystic fibrosis” into PubMed, the first article you are likely to see is a 1981 case study published in Clinical Toxicology titled, “Selenium: childhood poisoning and cystic fibrosis.” Whoa, that’s alarming. It describes two children, one with severe CF who died during the course of the study. Both were presenting with symptoms caused from excessive selenium usage, and which didn’t appear to be the result of any other variable. Because one child was suffering malnutrition, this appeared to enhance the toxicity of the selenium overdose. Now, keep in mind, in the early 80’s malnutrition was common in patients with CF, because nutrition research and drug options were not as developed as they are today, and the child was already very sick. But 1981 also suits a reasonable timeline following Dr. Wallach’s 1978 proprietary “cure” for a consumer, like the child’s parents, to buy in to. This is probably why the authors conclude that, “selenium is a potential hazard in its use as a health food fad for children with cystic fibrosis and in overdose ingestions. Thus selenium supplementation may have contributed to the morbidity and mortality reported here.”[14] I may be making a leap here, but to me that sounds like a dig at Joel Wallach and his mineral-pushing followers.

Another study in the Journal of Pediatrics, which predates the above one by a year, appears to be an almost direct response to the hypothesis that selenium and cystic fibrosis have a causal relationship. The study measured glutathione peroxidase and whole blood selenium in 20 infants and children, and basically found them to be in a normal range for healthy (non CF) children in that locale. Thus, they conclude, “These results do not support the hypothesis that deficiency of selenium is reponsible [sic] for cystic fibrosis.”[15]

You may notice how all these studies are pretty old, from a research perspective. To me, this is evidence of one of two things (maybe both?). Either: 1) when you get solid enough evidence that a supplement like selenium is, at best not useful for the average non-deficient patient, and, at worst potentially harmful, there’s not much need to continue research; indeed it may be unethical to conduct larger scale trials comparing selenium supplementation in double blind, placebo-controlled studies. Or 2) Charlatans like Joel Wallach have polluted the waters of scientific discovery by over-exaggerating claims, lying, and being that attention-seeking, stubborn, embittered misfit with weird clothes so badly, that the guilt-by-association is so strong, no evidence-valuing scientist wants to touch those topics, for fear of losing the respect of their colleagues, or maybe even their jobs. (Nobody wants to be that guy). And on the off-chance any of these quacks did say something clever, valid, or promising, it would likely be ignored or avoided by the scientific community for the same reasons.

To me, that’s the real tragedy of all of this. If research that could lead to better information, and better treatments gets buried under the rug for shame of being labeled too “out there,” it’s not the charlatans who lose, it’s us, the patients. I believe this man prays on vulnerable people and their families. I believe he exploits any hints of underlying mistrust of doctors to, essentially, brainwash patients into giving him what amounts to exorbitant sums of money. I believe he basks in the praise of his followers, rather than looks out for their best interest, and I believe he decries any form of criticism as something that must be squelched and censored. Most of all, I believe he will not be the man who cures CF.

Sunday, December 3, 2017

Reposted from Wake Up World
https://wakeup-world.com/2017/11/18/dramatic-recovery-in-parkinsons-patient-with-gluten-free-diet-2/

Could gluten’s toxicity extend to the nervous system, producing symptoms identical to classical Parkinson’s disease? A remarkable case study adds to a growing body of research indicating that wheat’s neurotoxicity is greatly underestimated.

A remarkable case report describing the dramatic recovery of a 75-year-old Parkinson’s disease patient after following a 3-month long gluten free diet reveals the need to explore whether there is an increased prevalence of silent or symptomatic celiac disease or non-celiac gluten sensitivity both in those afflicted with Parkinson’s disease and the related multi-factorial neurodegenerative condition known as Parkinsonism.

Published in the Journal of Neurology, the report [i] notes that celiac disease often manifests with only neurological symptoms, even in advanced age. This may strike the reader as surprising, considering gastrointestinal complaints are the most commonly noticeable symptom; and yet, when the voluminous published literature on gluten related adverse health effects is taken into account, so-called ‘out of intestine’ expressions of intolerance to gluten-containing grains are far more common than gut-related ones, with no less than 200 distinct adverse health effects implicated. You can read our summary of the biological carnage exacted by this ‘king of grains’ here: Wheat: 200 Clinically Confirmed Reasons Not To Eat It. You will notice that harm to the brain figures high on the list. From schizophrenia to mania, autism to peripheral neuropathy, the central nervous system is particularly sensitive to its adverse effects.

Grains Metabolically Impair the Brain: The larger context is that grains provide an inappropriate or suboptimal set of nutrients for brain metabolism. Dr. David Perlmutter in his NY Times bestselling book Grain Brain links cognitive impairments endemic to older populations in Western cultures to the over consumption of carbohydrates (from grains and sugar), and the under consumption of fats.

In this case study, the 75-year-old man presented with a 1-year history of “difficulty walking, instability, and fatigability.” His neurological examination revealed:

Facial hypomimia (reduced facial expressions)

Bradykinesia (extreme slowness of movements and reflexes)

Rigidity

Postural instability

A brain scan was performed using Single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), revealing abnormalities consistent with low dopamine production and which in combination with the clinical data lead to a diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease. Additional laboratory blood work revealed lower than normal level of serum folate, elevated homocysteine, with normal vitamin B12 levels. To assess the possibility of asymptomatic malabsorption due to a silent celiac disease further blood screening was explored. Anti-gliadin antibodies, markedly elevated IgA, anti-transglutaminase antibodies, and positive anti-endomysial antibodies – all signs of gluten associated autoimmunity. Finally, a duodenal biopsy was performed revealing intestinal characteristics (flattened villi; crypt hyperplasia) consistent with celiac disease. As a result, the gastroenterologist prescribed a gluten-free diet.

Remarkably, after only 3 months of abstinence from gluten, the patient reported an almost complete remission of symptoms, subsequently confirmed by a neurological evaluation. 18 months later he was re-examined and was found to have improved further.

Notably, the patient did not see measurable improvements in the dopaminergic abnormalities discovered in his brain scan, which would be expected in classical Parkinson’s disease, which is marked by the degeneration of the dopamine producing cells in the substantia nigra of the brain. The authors therefore did not posit that the celiac disease “caused” Parkinson’s disease in the patient, but rather that celiac disease exacerbated parkinsonism in this case. The case, however, does illustrate the possibility that a number of patients diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease are suffering from previously unidentified and unreported gluten-associated Parkinsonism, which from the outside clinical presentation can look identical. Those folks, who would benefit greatly from removing the cause of the neurological problems – namely, gluten/wheat removal – are often overdiagnosed and overtreated with drugs aimed at alleviating Parkinson’s disease, but which ultimately can lead to accelerated degeneration of endogenous dopamine production in the brain, enhanced neurotoxicity due to drug metabolites (e.g. 6-hydroxydopamine), and the production of dyskinesias (movement disorders) that are far worse than, or were never present within, the pre-treatment condition.